The Warrior Merchant
by Ganlo
Summary: Koba Seraph is looking to become the worlds greatest... shop owner. Does he get more than he bargained for when he begins his search for fame and fortune on the Grand Line. My first story, so constructive criticism please. This story takes place around the same time Luffy starts his adventure. I do not own One Piece or any of its characters, but the OCs are mine.
1. Prologue

_The Warrior Merchant _

_ Prologue_

A large pirate ship was sailing in the clear waters of West Blue. The captain of this particular ship was currently looking at a small fishing vessel with most of the deck covered by a large cabin. But what got the most attention from the captain were the large black letters written on the sail: Seraph Sundries, Armor and Weapons. The captain had seen and plundered many merchant vessels but never had he seen a floating shop.

The man started stroking his thick blonde beard pondering what to do. He could just attack it now and take what he wanted, but his curiosity was getting the better of him. All this time the crew was watching the captain waiting for his orders. "Men, pull alongside the ship. I wish to see this "shop" for myself," The captain yelled. "Aye, Captain Chilblain" the crew shouted back as they prepared to approach the ship.

When the ship had pulled alongside the shop, the crew setup the boarding planks for the captain and the two crewmen going with him. The large man and his two followers walked across the planks and onto the deck of the shop. The captain approached the door to the shop and lifted his leg about to just kick the door open when he suddenly got a cold feeling down his spine. He shivered, as the two men watch him, and slowly put his foot down and politely knocked on the door before opening it.

The three men walked into the store to see a large assortment of items, lit by several gas lanterns, ranging from swords and bows to steel plates to dried meats and preservatives. At the very back of the shop was a large desk adorning scales, books and several stacks of paper money and coins. Seated at this desk was thin man wearing a grey duster with what looked like ammo bands on his shoulders. He had his elbows on the desk and his hands put together crisscrossing his fingers. His face was looking downward and his unkempt black hair hid a lot of it.

"Gentlemen, welcome, please have a look around and do not be afraid to ask me any questions," said the man in low smooth voice still keeping his face down. The other three men tensed from the sudden introduction. The captain swallowed, cleared his throat, and asked, "What is this place,"? The man chuckled. "That is a rather silly question. This is a shop and I am the owner, Koba Seraph." "But why have a shop out in the middle of the ocean?" the captain asked more loudly. "Why not?" the man replied simply while shrugging his shoulders. The captain was beginning to lose his patience, not that he had much to begin with.

Chilblain decided not to question the man further and began looking at the weapons hanging from the walls. All of them were of high quality, especially the blades. The pirate was now thinking that this little shop might be worth taking, but he shouldn't let it on just yet. For now he would just play along with the shop routine. The captain glanced down at his own cutlass which was marred with chips along the blade. The captain picked a cutlass from the wall and brought it to the desk.

"How much for this?" the large man asked. The owner looked up revealing his face. He was young, probably around 19, and had pale skin with sharp black eyes. The most notable feature was large burn scar covering from the right corner of his mouth, which was pointed down in a permanent scowl, to the tip of his ear and just under his eye. The young man smiled, as best he could, and answered "75,000 Beli." The captain frowned. "That's too much for this measly little sword, but tell you what I'll take this sword off of you for free". The young man's smile didn't falter, but his fingers tightened ever so slightly. "In fact I think I'll be taking everything for free" The captain said laughing; the two crewmates laughing with him. The young man frowned, his eyes shadowing out.

"I thought you would be smarter than the others" Koba said in a cold voice while standing up. The captain and the other two men felt the cold feeling down their spine; however, one crewmate felt it for a different reason. The captain shook it off and replied angrily, "Fool, don't you know who I am. I'm "Cold Heart" Chilblain with a bounty of 35,000,000 Beli." "C-c-c-Captain" said the still shivering crewmate. "What", yelled Chilblain. The crewman pointed at the wall behind the desk. The captain followed the finger to where he was pointing and stiffened.

On the wall were countless pirate flags all with different jolly rogers adorning them. Many of the flags the captain recognized and some of the pirates the flags represented had higher bounties than himself. "There is one thing you must know about me" Koba said. "If anyone tries to steal from me they will pay it back tenfold." The captain pulled out a flintlock pistol and aimed it at Seraph. "I won't end up like them. I'll kill you right now!" There was a small popping sound. The captain tried to pull the trigger but he no longer felt the gun in his hand.

He looked down and opened his hand revealing a glass sphere smaller than a marble in his palm. "Where is my gun?" he yelled. Koba pointed at the sphere "That is your gun." "Don't screw around with me." The captain roared throwing the sphere at Koba, who caught it easily. The three pirates suddenly heard another popping sound and looked at Seraph now holding the pistol. "What the hell?" Chilblain cried before he was shot squarely between the eyes with his own pistol. The two remaining men screamed and ran for the door.

Koba walked toward them, his boots making deep thuds with every step, as they ran out the door screaming for help. The crew on the ship heard the screams and prepared the cannons and loaded their guns. The two screaming men ran onto the ship as Koba walked outside and into the sights of the crew. "He killed the captain" screamed one of the men. "What!" yelled the first mate "Everybody prepare to fire on the ship". The cannons all started aiming at the deck of the ship, where Koba was currently standing.

He looked on with a frown as the men all started pointing their guns at him and the cannons were aimed at the ship. Before the first mate could order the attack there was a loud popping noise. The side of the ship that was facing Koba suddenly had a large hole that took up most of this side of the side of the ship. Many of the men screamed as they fell into the ocean or onto the lower decks. Some of the men noticed that all the cannons and guns had vanished along with the large part of the ship.

The first mate, who was watching from the other side of the ship, couldn't believe his eyes. In an instant they had lost the fight and their ship was now sinking and the man responsible didn't even lift a finger. Then he noticed something rolling across the deck. He walked over to it to see a glass sphere about the size of a baseball. He picked it up and looked at it to notice something tiny inside. His eyes widened when figured out what it was. The piece of the ship that had just vanished was inside unharmed along with the cannons and the guns which were floating where they had been when they vanished.

He tore his eyes away to notice the other ship was already a good distance away. "Damn him. He must have eaten a Devil Fruit." Dropping the orb, he turned to see another crewman approaching him. "Sir, we cannot stop the water from flooding in. The ship is done for. Also, all of the loot we had collected this month is gone!" The first mate roared. That man must have snuck on board during the chaos and stolen it. "There's another thing, sir. Some of the crew found this a few minutes ago." He gestured to another crewman who was holding a glass sphere the size of a basketball.

The first mate stepped toward it and looked closely, peering inside the sphere. He could see something inside but couldn't quite make it out; it looked like a…

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Koba Seraph watched as the massive fireball engulfed the damaged ship. He could feel the heat from here. He stepped inside and picked up the body of the dead captain and threw it overboard. He stepped back inside and pulled an apple sized glass sphere from of his duster's pockets and put it on the floor next to his desk. There was a popping noise and pile of coins and treasure spilled out on the floor before him. "A good haul today, although I do wish they would start buying something. I became a merchant to sell, not to kill" He said, as he pulled out a black cloth and started nailing the jolly roger to the wall.


	2. Chapter 1

**Thank you, Disciple of Bob, for the review. I also took your advice about starting a new paragraph when I change speakers. Also, thanks to anyone reading this; I hope I did well on this chapter. I'm not very good with conversations and social interaction in writing.**

_Chapter 1_

Koba Seraph sat at the desk in his shop, pondering his next move. Yesterday, he had taken about 200,000 beli worth of treasure from the Chilblain Pirates and destroyed the crew and ship. He had set off from his home island, Domus, 2 weeks prior. And every day since then had been similar to what had occurred yesterday. Pirates would either pretend like they are going to buy something or just flat out attack him. Of course his business wasn't aimed at just pirates; anyone who would buy he considered a customer. Although pirates have been his only customers so far and they haven't been too friendly.

Koba sighed. He didn't look like it, but the shop owner was worn out from 2 weeks of battles. He wouldn't last much longer without help. "That's it" thought the merchant, "I'll hire a guard to do the fighting for me". He absently rubbed his scar, wondering over this thought. He would still have to fight some, if the fight was getting out of hand, but not as much; and that was good enough for him. At the next island, he decided, he would search for a guard. He got up from the desk and headed outside. He hoisted the stone anchor out of the water and set the sails heading east to who knows where; his navigation skills were not the best in the world. He usually just let the wind take him wherever it wanted and then weigh anchor and set up shop. But now he was determined to get to the next island and find a guard.

…..

Several hours later, call him lucky, he saw an island on the horizon. He was restless until he arrived about another hour later. He normally would've passed an abandoned jungle island without stopping but something stopped him; sitting on the beach was the biggest ship he had ever laid his eyes on. It would be the size of a large building if it was turned sideways. It was adorned with different decorations such as large animal bones, furs, and what appeared to be large metal shields; the ship also had large bull's head figurehead.

He approached the giant ship, deciding to investigate and see if anyone was on board. The ship was at least 50 feet tall to the deck, a jump he couldn't make, but there were decorations and ropes dangling around the middle of the ship. He leaped up, with enough force to leave a small crater in the sand, and grabbed hold of one of the hanging ropes and then launched himself upward grabbing the ledge of the deck while doing so. He pulled himself up onto the deck and looked around; there was no one aboard. Silently cursing, he turned around to see smoke coming from the thick jungle. "I guess the crew is somewhere over there; but what kind of crew uses a ship this big?" Koba pondered. He had already guessed the answer, but he wouldn't be sure until he saw them. Leaping off the ship and landing with a slight thud in the sand, he began his trek toward where the crew hopefully was.

….

About an hour of walking in the thick jungle, Koba began to hear voices and other noises coming from ahead. He continued walking as the voices got louder and some became distinguishable.

"Hey, Kata how many pirates did you take during the last skirmish", Asked a loud, gruff voice.

A clear yet harsh woman's voice answered, "Fifty pirates were laid down by my blade."

"I got fifty also, but that was only on the first swing", the other voice replied while laughing. Other loud booming voices joined in the laughter. Koba approached the clearing and his suspicions were confirmed.

Giants were seated all around the clearing, with a large campfire in the center. All of them were dressed in decorated metal armor with furs covering the rest of them; they also all wore horned iron helmets. They sat around drinking and eating, while sharing stories of recent battle. Koba was hiding in the brush to the side of a giant, slightly larger than the others, that sat in the middle of the crew, his entire face hidden by his overgrown eyebrows and brown beard. "He must be the captain", Koba thought. He saw something beside the captain and looked closer. Sitting beside the captain was a normal young woman with skin as pale as Koba's, silver hair and bright green eyes. She was wearing a black leather, button-up jacket with a grey shirt underneath and black cloth pants and black leather boots; she was also slightly taller than Koba. She did not wear a helmet like the rest of the crew.

This seemed rather odd to Koba as to why there was a normal human woman sitting in the middle of a giants' campsite. He decided to step out of the brush, not really thinking of what might happen if he shows himself. None of the giants noticed him, but the woman noticed him and immediately pulled a large claymore from behind her seat. Koba quickly raised his hands showing he was unarmed but the woman wasn't taking any chances.

She yelled up to the captain, "Father, we have an intrusion."

"Father?" thought the merchant, "But she's not a giant." The giant looked down to the two of them, the woman's sword still pointed at Koba and his hands still in the air.

"Well what do you know, we do have a visitor", the giant said in a kind voice. The other six giants looked his way

"Who are you stranger?"

The merchant cleared his throat, "I am Koba Seraph, owner of the floating shop Seraph Sundries, Armor, and Weapons."

"Floating shop?" the giant questioned.

"Aye, a shop inside of my ship where I sell anything a weary traveler might need. And might I ask what is you and your… daughter's name?"

"Ah, my name is Falkmar Luag and this", gesturing to the woman who was now lowering her sword, "is my daughter Kata Laug."

Before the giant could speak further another giant, with a rather large nose, in the crew spoke up, "I'm Flosi Rodmar, one of the greatest warriors in the world. You had best not forget the name human", pointing to Seraph.

"Flosi be nice, he is a guest" Falkmar yelled.

"Like I have to be nice to a weakling human", Flosi stated now standing up. All of the giants were glaring at Flosi.

"Is she not human also," Koba asked while pointing to Kata. Kata glared at him.

"She is a half-giant", Falkmar answered, "Her mother was human and I am her father."

"I see", the merchant replied, staring intently at Kata, who was still glaring at him, while rubbing his scar.

"She might as well be a human. She's just as weak", Flosi smirked. Kata changed the target of her glare from Koba to Flosi.

"Flosi, have we not fought together many times. You know my strength and yet you still call me weak. What will it take to earn your respect", Kata yelled at Flosi.

Flosi's fists tightened as he yelled, "I will never respect someone as tiny as you, you damn human."

"FLOSI!" Falkmar roared. The giant stumbled back from the sudden outburst. "Leave now! And don't come back until you've cooled down." Flosi, with his head down and mouth in a scowl, walked into the deep jungle, leaving the campsite quiet.

Nobody said anything as they looked to where Flosi had left the clearing. Koba had barely noticed the confrontation, as he was still staring at Kata. "I want to test you", he said. Kata and the giants looked away from the jungle and back to the merchant.

"What?" she asked looking at him quizzically.

"I want to test your strength", He replied.

"You doubt my strength" she yelled while pulling her claymore up. He shook his head slightly.

"I can see that you are strong, but I want to see how strong. As long as it is okay with your father", he said, looking up to the giant.

Falkmar stared at him, "She could hurt you easily merchant. She is a trained warrior." Koba chuckled.

"I may not look it, but I'm no stranger when it comes to battle. I had to learn to defend myself if I was going to go out to sea. Please just let me duel her. I assure you, the both us will not be seriously harmed."

The giant sighed, "Very well then; if Kata agrees to it.

"Of course", she said, "I want to put this merchant in his place."

Both of them stepped into the middle of the clearing, about 70 feet away from the giants, and closer to the fire that was still burning. They stood several feet away facing each other. She already had her claymore in a tight grip with both hands, though Koba suspected she could easily use it with one hand. "Draw your weapon", she growled. Koba used his left hand to hold open the left side of his duster, exposing a plethora of pockets and pouches that had been stitched into the inside. Using his right he reached into one of his many pockets and pulled out a closed fist. Kata lifted an eyebrow; she was sure the merchant was just going to take out a gun, but there seemed to be nothing in his hand. Koba put his arm out to his side with his fist facing downward. There was a small popping noise and a common looking small-sword appeared in the merchant's right hand, which was already closed on the hilt. The giants started murmuring when they saw this strange event.

Kata's eyes narrowed, "A devil fruit!"

"Aye, but I won't be using it in this fight so you have nothing to worry about besides my own natural abilities." The merchant said with a slight smirk.

"Worry? Hah. I was just wondering if it might actually give you a fighting chance." Kata said.

With that she ran forward, sword raised above her head for a downward blow. Koba raised his sword to block it. "Just like I wanted merchant; I'll cleave that sword in two and end this fight with one blow." she thought. She brought her sword crashing down onto the blade of Koba's own sword. The sound of the two swords clashing echoed throughout the clearing, the force of the blow cracking the ground beneath Koba's feet and sending a rush of wind that blew the large campfire upwards. Both swords were trembling from the push of strength from the two fighters. Kata's eyes narrowed as she noticed that the merchant's arm had only slightly given way under the force of her blow. "Perhaps now, you'll take me more seriously." Koba said with a frown. He pushed her blade away with his own and rushed forward swinging the blade toward the right side of her head. She barely blocked it in time as her blade was heavier and slower to use. Koba quickly sliced up and cut a gash into her cheek. She jumped backward several feet to give herself more room to attack. Koba stood still, his blade at his side waiting for her to attack. Kata rushed forward meaning to thrust the claymore into the young man; but Koba was ready. Bringing up the blunt side of his sword he blocked the thrust, though it did push him back several feet. With the swords still connected, pushed her sword into the air and jabbed the hilt of his blade into her stomach. She grunted and was about to jump backwards again, but Koba wasn't going to give her the chance. He made a quick jab to the left side of her chest with a punch; the blow was powerful enough to send her staggering back.

"Perhaps I was wrong about you." Koba said while frowning. "You aren't as strong as I believed you would be." Kata, clutching her injured side, glared at him.

"In fact I might even call you _weak." _Kata's eyes widened for an instant then narrowed again as she raised her sword once more.

"DON'T CALL ME WEAK", she roared as she came at him with a series quick strikes; much quicker than before.

"I have been called weak all my life by the people I grew up with; I don't need some bastard merchant telling me the same thing."

Koba was blocking all of the blows but he was having a difficult time keeping up with them. Kata raised her sword for a downward blow.

"This is it!" Koba thought, "This is the strength I was waiting for!"

He raised his sword to block, anticipating what would happen. Kata brought down her sword and cleaved Koba's short sword in two, while the merchant jumped back from the descending blade. Her sword struck the ground leaving a network of large cracks. Kata panted, still holding her sword and looked up to see the merchant smiling, as best he could.

"What are you smiling about", she asked still panting.

"Because that's the strength I wanted to see." Koba said still smiling. Kata looked at him, with one eyebrow raised, about to ask him what he was talking about when she heard a loud clapping. Both of the fighters looked to Falkmar who was clapping.

"That was quite a fight, but it seems my daughter won out through sheer strength." The giant sounded cheerful.

"Yes, I am quite impressed with her and that is why I would like to hire her." Koba said.

"What?" Both Falkmar and Kata cried.

"I wish to hire Kata as guard at my shop." Koba repeated.

"Like I would ever work as guard for a mere merchant's stand", Kata yelled, "I came on this expedition with my father to become strong warrior through battle."

"Then this would be perfect for you", Koba stated, "I'm hiring a guard because I get into so many battles with pirates trying to steal from me."

"The answer is still NO, I will never have such a lowly occupation as guard." She yelled. All this time Falkmar had not said a word; he looked as if he were pondering something. The other giants knew to stay out of this.

"Kata, you should go with him." The giant said quietly. His daughter looked up to him with wide eyes.

"Father, you can't be serious. I am a warrior. I am not meant for helping this", pointing at Koba, "measly merchant."

"Daughter you saw and felt his strength in battle. You know he is no mere merchant. If he could gain the strength to fight toe to toe with a trained warrior from just fighting people who steal from him, perhaps you could become even stronger if you helped him."

Kata closed her fists tightly, "I cannot Father, it is not what I am meant for."

Koba frowned, rubbing his scar, "Then perhaps you could escort me back to my ship. It seems I have no further business here."

"Tsk" Kata spat.

"Daughter, you could at least do that for him couldn't you", Falkmar asked.

"Very well. Merchant, follow me." She started walking toward the edge of the clearing.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Laug." Koba said, giving a slight bow.

"Nice meeting you too Seraph. I hope we see each other again on the seas." The giant said waving goodbye.

"As do I", Koba stated before entering the brush, following Kata.

…

Koba and Kata had been walking through the jungle silently for about 20 minutes, Koba spoke up.

"I apologize for calling you weak earlier. I was just trying to draw out your real strength. Although those early blows that I blocked did leave my arm aching." He said while rubbing his right shoulder.

"I don't need an apology. Besides I drew out my own strength when I needed it; you didn't do anything. But there was something I wanted to ask about your devil fruit."

"Ah, why don't I just show you." He said pulling something out of his pocket as they both stopped walking. He held out his open palm which held a marble sized glass sphere. There was a small popping noise and a short sword, not unlike the one he used in the fight, appeared in his hand.

"I ate the Tama Tama no Mi. It allows me to define and contain a space into a sphere and then release whatever's contained when I want. I can contain anything except humans and animals inside these spheres."

"That is very strange ability. Although I guess it would be useful for merchant to carry more stock than he has room for." Kata said with a little interest.

Koba smiled, "You guess correctly the ability has been invaluable to me as a shop owner." Their conversation was interrupted by a series of thudding sounds that sounded as though they were getting closer to the two.

Flosi emerged above some of the trees and stood in front of Koba and Kata, scowling down at them. He had a large war hammer in his right hand.

"Well, well, well I was just coming back to the campsite and run across two measly humans. This is just too good. I can get rid of the weakling merchant", looking down at Koba, "and the wannabe warrior," looking to Kata. Kata's widened.

"What are you talking about Flosi?"

"You've been nothing but a disgrace to the crew and to all giants. You can never be a true warrior as tiny as you are!" Koba had stayed quiet throughout the confrontation, he had had enough insults.

"Mr. Rodmar, do you really believe strength has anything to do with size." Koba asked, frowning.

The giant looked back to Koba, "What? Do you think a person as small as you could defeat a giant as large as me? We'll see about that!" The giant lifted his hammer.

"Flosi stop!" Kata yelled. The giant lifted his hammer even further before bringing it down with all his might on top of Koba. Koba stood still his hand above him. When the hammer's head, which was size of boulder, touched his open palm there was a loud popping noise and the hammer stopped its descent. There was no wind from the blow or any noise or any indication that there was an impact at all. Koba was still standing with his hand now holding a softball sized sphere. Kata looked on wide eyed. Flosi lifted his hammer, expecting to see a smear of blood and gore where his hammer had impacted, but Koba still stood.

"What the hell? Why aren't you dead human?" Flosi roared.

Koba leaped quickly onto the giant's hammer then leaped up in front of the giant's face.

"I told you Mr. Rodmar, strength has nothing to do with size." Koba through the sphere at the face of the giant. When the sphere touched the end of his nose there was a loud popping sound and the giant's face instantly flattened out with a symphony of loud cracks and pops as every bone in his face broke. The giant didn't even grunt out in pain as he fell crashing into the trees; he had been knocked unconscious.

"What did you do to him?" Kata asked still not believing what she just saw.

"I did nothing, that was his own impact that knocked him out", replied the merchant simply.

"Wait, you contained his hammer's blow."

"Aye", he replied while brushing dirt from his duster. "You might want to go tell your father what happened. I'm going back to my ship and setting off before something else happens."

"Wait" Kata said.

"Yes?" Koba waited for her to say something.

"I wish to go with you" Koba stared at her.

"Why the sudden change of heart", he asked.

"What you said, size doesn't matter; do you really believe that?"

"Of course I wouldn't have said it if didn't believe it."

"All of my life, everyone I have known was so much bigger and stronger than me. My father was the only one who saw me as a capable fighter. The giants on this crew only tolerate me. With the exception of Flosi", she said as she looked toward the unconscious giant. "And then just now you defeated a giant with one blow. Granted it was fruits power that allowed that, but still you showed me that someone as tiny as you or I can fight giants as equals. That's why I want to go with you; to become stronger than even the strongest giants in the world."

Koba stared at her for a moment before standing up and walking up to her and holding out his hand.

"By shaking my hand you will agree to become a guard at my shop and protect it along with me. I must warn you though trouble seems to have a way of working its way toward my shop." He said with a smile.

"That's just what I was hoping for" ,she said smiling as they shook hands.

**Finally done with the first chapter. I hope the names weren't too weird. I don't think every chapter will be this long, but they won't be as short as the prologue.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews. If the story gets popular enough, I may start including mini-chapters in-between main chapters; the mini-chapters will have random One Piece characters visiting the shop. I may let the readers decide who.**

_Chapter 2_

Koba had continued on to prepare the ship, while Kata went back to the campsite to tell her father of the confrontation with Flosi and her decision to go with Koba.

"I guess I shouldn't be so surprised that Flosi would try something like that." Falkmar sighed as he shook his head. "It's hard to believe that Mr. Seraph defeated him with one blow!"

Kata nodded her head, "I can hardly believe it either, even as I watched it happening. That is why I want to go with him Father. I have seen his true strength in battle."

"Well then you had best get going. You don't want to keep him waiting. I'm sure we'll see each other again before we head back to Elbaf." Falkmar said smiling; although it was hard to tell that he was smiling, as most of his face was covered by hair.

"I hope so Father", she said as she waved goodbye before disappearing back into the jungle.

….

Koba was busy preparing the ship and making room for his new guard, all while smiling.

"This couldn't have turned out better", he thought to himself, "Although I could have done without the arrogant giant." He didn't know what kind of accommodations Kata would be expecting on this small fishing vessel. He would have to ask if she needed anything when she got here. As if on cue, the door opened up to the shop and Kata stepped in. She looked around with criticizing eyes.

"This is your ship?" she asked, "This puny thing is hardly the size of a giant's dinghy."

Koba clutched his chest in faux pain, "Your hurting my pride Ms. Kata. This was the only ship that was available to me when I set off from my home island and I was rather in a hurry when I was leaving."

Kata turned to look at him, "Why were you in a rush?"

Koba frowned, "Perhaps I'll tell you later, but now we must be setting off." He walked out the door and began raising the anchor. "Ms. Kata, could you be so kind as to raise the sail", he called from outside.

Kata sighed and walked back out to begin what Koba had asked.

…

After the ship was a good distance away from the island, Koba relaxed into the chair at his desk. "Ms. Kata, what do you require while you are staying here." he asked, looking over to the guard standing a few feet away from him in the back right corner of the shop; her claymore was stuck in the boards in front of her."

"A chair would be nice," she said with a smirk.

"Very well." He closed his eyes and began moving his open hand across the desk's many drawers and cabinets.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm searching for a chair. Ah, here we are" he exclaimed as he opened up a drawer. There were many glass spheres inside, rolling around and clinking into each other. He sorted through them and picked out a marble sized sphere which he threw to Kata. She caught it with one hand while the other held on to her claymore.

"What were all the hand motions about", she asked, examining the sphere.

"It is part of my ability. I can sense what is inside of the spheres and easily choose the one I want. Now, put that sphere on the ground and step aside."

Kata followed his instructions and watched the sphere disappear with a popping sound and be replaced by a simple wooden chair that was now sitting next one of the weapon stands. The young woman reached out and rocked it back and forth as if making sure it was real. Once she was sure it wouldn't vanish, she sat down.

"So, what's the plan?" Kata asked, looking to Koba who was currently pulling a few spheres out of the desk.

"The plan, Ms. Kata, is to prepare for our journey to the Grand Line." He released the few spheres that were on his desk, which were replaced by a pile of books.

Kata nodded her head, "I thought we might have been headed that way, since the ship was headed east."

"That brings us to another matter, Ms. Kata", Koba said as he flipped through one of the books that had appeared on his desk. "Do you have any skill when it comes to navigating?"

"Of course that was my main role in my father's crew, since I couldn't do the other jobs as quickly as the giants."

"That takes care of that problem then; seeing that my own navigating skills are… minimal at best", he said, not looking up from the book.

"We will also need a new ship to take on the Grand Line. This little boat wouldn't make it to the first island."

Koba sighed, "I suppose you are right about that. Although I can't imagine where we will find one."

"I'm sure we'll come across one before we arrive at the Red Line. We will also need a cook."

"I can preserve fruits and dry meats easily enough."

"Preserves and jerky can only last so long. We will need fresh meals to keep our strength up."

Koba sighed once again. "Nothing seems to satisfy this woman", he thought. "I suppose you are right on that part as well. So a new ship and a cook; is that all you can think of that we will need."

"For now, yes."

They both heard a far off noise from outside. Kata ran outside to investigate.

"Koba, there is pirate ship about 300 yards away. They are sailing toward us", she called out.

"Weigh anchor Ms. Kata. We will let them come to us."

"Aye" When she was done with that task, she walked back inside closing the door. "Is this what you normally do? You don't fear the pirates will just attack the ship."

"Curiosity usually gets the better of them. You had best take your position. We will probably need some intimidation to make a successful sale." With that he quickly lit a lantern hanging on the wall behind his desk which illuminated the many pirate flags that were nailed to the wall underneath it. Kata hadn't noticed them before but didn't say anything as she heard boarding planks land on the shops deck. There were two knocks at the door before it opened revealing slightly tall, muscular man with a large black goatee. He was wearing a black tricorne hat with a green jacket and green cloth pants.

"Good evening, sir. Welcome to Seraph Sundries, Armor, and Weapons. Please have a look around and don't be afraid to ask me anything." Koba said politely.

The man grunted and looked at Kata, who tightened her grip on the claymore, before walking towards the desk. The man kept his chest puffed out as he walked past the weapon and armor stands, trying a little intimidation of his own. That was when he noticed the pirate flags arranged behind the desk. His chest deflated as he gave out a little gasp. Kata smirked at this. The man looked at Koba, who simply smiled at him. The pirate gulped as he stopped his walk towards the desk and turned to one of the weapon stands. He stood there stroking his beard as he looked at the swords and axes on that particular stand, all the while trying to act like nothing happened; though he was sweating profusely. He picked up a double-edged axe before approaching the desk.

"How much", he asked, showing Koba the axe in his trembling hands.

"That one will be 125,000 beli"

"Very well." The man grunted as he pulled a leather pouch from his jacket pocket and let it fall to desk in front of Koba. "That should cover it", the pirate said as he quickly turned to leave, axe in hand.

"Wait", Koba said. The man jumped as though he'd been stabbed and quickly turned back around to face the desk. "I need to check the amount before you leave." The man gave a slight start, but didn't say anything when the pouch disappeared with a pop to be replaced with a small sphere. Koba picked up the sphere and closed his hand around it, as he closed his eyes.

"There is 136,000 beli in the pouch. You almost left giving me too much." Koba brought back the pouch and pulled the necessary change from it. "Your change is 11,000 beli. Thank you for shopping and be sure to come back again."

The pirate almost ran out the door when their business had concluded. The shop owner could hear the man shouting orders to the crew to pull up the boarding planks and sail away as fast as the wind could take them. Kata walked out to see the pirate ship sailing away.

She walked back into the shop, closing the door behind her.

"Well Ms. Kata, you have just witnessed my first successful sale as a shop owner." Koba said with pride filling his voice.

"Your first sale? You haven't sold anything before now?"

"Of course, I sold many items as an apprentice merchant. But this was my first sale as my own master. Every other customer that has come in here has attacked me."

"Is that where all the flags came from?" She asked pointing to the wall behind him.

"Aye. And as you saw, they make a great intimidation tool."

"Pirates won't be as easily scared on the Grand Line. We will have to replace the flags eventually."

"I know." Koba said examining the leather pouch containing the money from his first sale. A new thought occurred to him. "I need to talk to you about your payment, Ms. Kata."

"Payment?"

"Obviously you will need payment as a guard. I was thinking hourly, but since you will be here all the time, how about 15% of every sale I make."

"I do not require payment. I came with you to become stronger not to make money."

"You will need money eventually. You could buy new clothes or weapons or whatever it is you want. I'll even keep it in a shared safe."

"Fine. Whatever you want, just so long as you be quiet about it."

"Excellent. Let me show you where the safe is so you can find it later", he said waving her over. She sighed and went over behind the desk where Koba was crouching down. He lifted a section of a wide floorboard underneath his desk to reveal a large iron safe. He turned the knob in the correct order to open it exposing a large amount beli notes and coins and a few golden ornaments. He deposited the leather pouch inside before shutting the door and lowering the floorboard. He sat back down in his chair while Kata stood next to him.

"How much money do you actually have?" She asked with a small amount of curiosity.

Koba opened a drawer on the desk and pulled out a large leather-bound book engraved with the name of the shop. "This is the ledger." He opened it, showing columns and rows of lines prepared to be filled with transaction information. The first few rows were filled out with some rather large amounts. "Those are from pirates who tried to steal from me." He said simply. The transactions were marked as _debt._ Koba pulled a sphere out of the desk and placed it to the side of the book where it was replaced with a quill and ink. Koba dipped the quill before he began writing the transaction of his first sale. He deducted 15% from the total before adding it up with the rest of the amounts. It totaled up to 65,000,000 beli.

Kata gave out a small whistle.

Koba smiled, "This is a paltry amount to what we'll be making once we get settled in the Grand Line. Now Ms. Kata, prepare the course while I raise the anchor; we're moving on."

"Aye"


	4. Chapter 3

**Sorry it took so long to upload this one. I was having a difficult time writing it for some reason.**

_Chapter 3_

Koba Seraph was at his desk reading through books about the Grand Line and its many dangers. He was still very proud of the sale he made yesterday; even though that was the only customer he had the entire day.

"_No matter", _he thought_, "There will be plenty of opportunities to sell once we reach the Grand Line. Perhaps we will have built a reputation by then so we won't need intimidation._

His thoughts were interrupted when Kata called from outside, "Koba, I see a ship but cannot tell the make of it."

Koba quickly reached into one of his duster's pockets and pulled out a sphere, which was instantly replaced by a spyglass. He walked out onto the deck of the ship. When Kata saw the spyglass in his hand she pointed to the ship, which was a good distance away. He looked at the ship through the spyglass. It took a moment to get focused but it eventually came into view. It was a large battleship with the Marine's symbol embroidered onto the main sail.

"It's a Marine ship", he said as he handed the spyglass to Kata.

Kata looked through the spyglass to confirm his words, "It seems they are headed in our direction. What should we do?"

Koba shook his head, "I'm not sure. I have never dealt with marines before." He began to rub his scar, pondering what to do. He thought it over for several moments before making a decision. "Let's weigh anchor and see what they want. We have committed no crimes, so they have no reason to attack us. We may even be able to sell to them."

"Aye", Kata replied as she picked up the large stone anchor before dropping it overboard.

…..

It was fifteen minutes before the Marine ship pulled alongside the shop. Koba and Kata stood on the deck looking up the side of the marine ship which dwarfed their little fishing boat. A person appeared on the edge of the ship before jumping straight down, onto the deck of the shop. He was a tall man, at least two heads taller than Koba. He wore the traditional marine uniform along with a large jacket that was tossed over his shoulders. His face was clean shaven and he had long thick brown hair. There was a large light-purple birth mark that drew a jagged line down the left side of his face. The man put his hands behind his back while Koba and Kata stared at him, waiting for him to say something.

"I am Marine Vice-Admiral Kudzu", he announced with a rough voice as he looked down to the two. "What are your names?"

"I am Koba Seraph, owner of the floating shop Seraph Sundries, Armor, and Weapons which you are now standing on. And this", Koba pointed to Kata, "is my guard, Kata Laug. Might I ask what business you have with me?"

Kudzu smiled down to him, "I came to find you."

"Me?"

"Yes. We had heard a report of a pirate crew being completely destroyed after they visited a "floating shop". I thought the report was ludicrous at first, but then we began receiving the same report again and again for about two weeks. I was very curious and came to investigate myself. So, have you encountered any pirates? I want to make sure you're the one I'm looking for."

"I have "encountered" many pirates since I have started my shop. Come inside if you need proof." Koba said as he began walking back into the shop. The vice-admiral followed, having to duck slightly to get through the doorway. Upon entering Koba gestured to the far wall, behind the desk. The marine smiled at the sight of the many jolly rogers hanging there. He pointed to one.

"That's the flag of the 40,000,000 bounty Kyro "The Keen" and that one", he said pointing to a different jolly roger, "is the 53,000,000 bounty "Screaming" Lartson. Most of these flags represent very troublesome pirates that would have taken me many months to clear out; but you were able to do so in a mere two weeks."

Koba shook his head, "I was not intentionally hunting pirates. Those men tried to steal from me and they paid the price."

"Even so, you saved the marines and me a lot of trouble by clearing these men out. I was deployed here, in West Blue, due to a large increase of pirates, but thanks to you my time here has been shortened significantly."

"It was no trouble, I assure you."

"Well since I am here I might need some weapons for some of the new recruits."

Koba smiled at this, "Of course. I have a fine selection of swords and other melee weapons."

"Hmm, do you not have firearms? These recruits need to start off with a gun before working their way up to melee fighting."

"I believe I might keep a few around here somewhere", he said, as he started moving his hands over his many pockets. "Here we are", he exclaimed as he produced three golf ball sized spheres from his pocket and laid them on the floor before the marine. There were a few popping noises and several rows of rifles and pistols now lay on the floor. The marine didn't react to this strange occurrence as he began looking at the assorted guns.

"They seem to be in good condition, so I'll take them all. How much will it be?"

Koba smiled, "All of them? 2,500,000."

"A fair price." the marine said, pulling out something that looked like a small book with the Marine symbol. He opened it up revealing large amounts of varying Beli notes. Kudzu pulled out the necessary amount and handed it to Koba. The merchant didn't check the amount, as he was sure the marine wouldn't lie to him.

Kudzu, Koba, and Kata walked back out onto the deck, where Kudzu called up to his men to come and haul the guns to their ship. As they began lowering rope ladders down the side of the ship, Kudzu turned to Koba. "Can I give you some advice", the Vice-Admiral asked.

Koba raised an eyebrow, "What kind of advice?"

"Consider it financial advice. As I said in your shop, the men you killed had some pretty high bounties. I would recommend turning those bounties in for major profit."

"I had a few thoughts about it. However, I am not a bounty hunter."

"Then hire one. Even if you don't actively seek pirates out, you can turn in any that try to steal from you; and an experienced bounty hunter could easily recognize a bounty when he sees it."

"I suppose that would be waste of money if I didn't turn them in; but where would I find a bounty hunter?"

"There is a bounty hunter who comes by the base that I'm stationed at every month with a few bounties to turn in. His name is Wingo Chasseur. I believe he stays at a remote island north-east from here. Be careful though, he is considered dangerous by most of the marines, as all the bounties he turns in are dead. He never brings them in alive." The marines had finished hauling the guns to the ship.

"Very well Mr. Kudzu, I will go and find this bounty hunter."

Kudzu held out his hand to the merchant, who shook it.

"It was a pleasure meeting you Koba. Perhaps we will see each other again if you are heading to the Grand Line." The marine jumped up to the deck of his ship and began shouting orders as the ship pulled out.

"Ms. Kata, please prepare the course. We are heading north-east."

"Aye"

…

They had been sailing for several hours as the sun made its way through the sky. Koba, anticipating the meeting with the bounty hunter, was outside with the spyglass, looking for the remote island mentioned by Kudzu. Kata was inside, sharpening her claymore, when she heard Koba call from outside. She quickly stood and went out to the deck of the ship where Koba was standing with the spyglass held out.

"Ms. Kata, I believe we have arrived", Koba said.

She took the spyglass from him and looked to see dot of land in the distance.

"You know if we recruit him there won't be much room left on the ship." Kata said, still looking at the island.

"I am aware, Ms. Kata. That is why finding a ship will be the top priority after this stop. Now let us prepare for the meeting."

"How, exactly, are you going to convince him to join us."

"Simple. We, most likely, will meet more pirates in a few days than he will meet in a month. Plenty of opportunities for a hunter."

…

It took another twenty minutes before details of the island came into view. Koba continued looking at the island as they approached. He could see something taking up the shoreline, but he couldn't quite make out what it was. It looked like….

"Ms. Kata", Koba called urgently.

Kata came rushing from inside. "What is it", she asked with an anticipating face.

"We must turn the ship around now!"

"Why?"

Koba quickly shoved the spyglass into her hand and went to the sail to change directions. Kata looked towards the island and was shocked to see piles of wrecked ships dotting the islands shore. She dropped the spyglass and went to help Koba with the sail.

"What caused that", she asked as they turned the sail.

"My guess, Ms. Kata, would be a powerful underwater current." The sail was turned but it seemed that they were still headed towards the island and slowly increasing in speed. "It seems I guessed correctly. Weigh anchor, maybe it will slow us down." Kata swiftly picked up the stone anchor and threw it over as their speed increased once again. The ship gave a quick jerk as the anchor hit bottom; but they were still moving, with the anchor dragging on the seabed.

"Ms. Kata, move away from that", Koba said pointing the anchor rope, which was pulled taut. Kata backed away before the rope snapped. With the anchor gone the ship shot forward moving even faster towards the island. Koba and Kata were having a hard time keeping themselves upright as the ship sped ever closer to the shore throwing mists of water in their view.

"Maybe we should jump overboard. There's no way the ship will survive the impact." Kata yelled over the wind as she crouched to gain balance.

"I suppose you are right. However, you will have to carry me. In case you have forgotten I cannot swim" Koba yelled back as he frowned. He did not like leaving behind all of his merchandise, but he could retrieve whatever survived the crash.

The shore was fast approaching as the ship tore through the water at breakneck speed.

"Now's a good a time as any", Kata shouted as she ran and grabbed Koba around the waist before jumping off the ship and into the warm water. She sank several feet, due to the weight of Koba and the claymore on her back, but she managed to hold onto the merchant as she kicked towards the surface. She broke through the water with a gasp, while she tried to hold Koba's head above the water. The merchant's eyes drooped from his lack of strength, but he still lifted them open enough to watch his ship hit the shore. It hit a small patch of sand, sending up a large cloud, before hitting the front deck of a wrecked galleon. The deck was pointed upwards like a makeshift ramp. The shop ran into it with enough speed to break the boards of the deck, but it continued upward before falling off the end of the deck, sending up another cloud of sand. Koba let his eyes close. He did not want to imagine what his merchandise looked like now. Kata, who had been kicking just to stay above the water, now began to make her way towards the shore.

…

When she reached a point where she could stand in the water she lifted Koba and threw his arm around her shoulder for support; he was still feeling the effects of the sea. They both trudged through the sand, still soaked with water, toward the wreckage of the shop. They arrived and were not pleased by the look of it. The ship was on its side and most of the decks boards were broken or completely missing. The shop itself had a large hole in the roof with the wooden boards bent outwards. Koba, who had regained his strength, stepped through the hole to assess the damage. Everything that was on the stands was scattered around and broken. Most of the armor was dented and the assortment of weapons had also been bent or the handles destroyed. His desk was turned upside-down and splintered into several pieces, with orbs scattered around the opened drawers. He began sorting through the mess, salvaging what he could.

Kata stood outside next to the ship, looking around. She had an eerie feeling that someone was watching. While she was looking she heard a whistling noise and swiftly moved her head back a few inches. She saw something wiz by her and strike the side of the ship where it broke the boards that it struck. She turned to where it came from just as another came flying at her head. She reached out and deftly caught it in her hand. It was an arrow with a steel pointed head.

"Koba we have company!" she shouted as she ran into the shop. Koba was slouched in the corner with something on his arm. She ran up to him, to see a small, toothed trap closed around his right arm.

"What happened?" she asked reaching for the trap.

"It…was next… to the desk. It's…sea stone. Someone…came here…before we got to shore." he gasped out. Kata grabbed both sides of the trap and pulled it open. All of the teeth came loose from the trap mechanism and stayed embedded in the merchant's arm.

"Damn. This was meant for a Devil Fruit user." Kata said as she began to pull a tooth out of Koba's arm. She managed to pull one out before she heard someone approaching the ship. "Stay here. Whoever it is, is still out there." She drew her claymore from her back and stepped outside. Koba tried to stop her, as he already knew who it was, but she had already left.

A wild looking man was standing on the beach with a large wooden bow in his hands with an arrow already notched and drawn. He had rough light brown hair covering most of his face and had a pink scar running down the middle of his mouth. He was wearing a brown leather poncho with strange designs decorating it and had a brown cloth shirt underneath with a matching pair of pants. He had very large brown boots which had several metal buckles running across them. His head was topped with leather rimmed-hat and he a large quiver hanging from his back. He fired the arrow right as Kata took as step towards him. She dodged and ran forward with her sword held behind her. The man reached behind and pulled out three arrows and fired them in rapid succession at the charging woman. Kata was having a hard time dodging them, having to sidestep a few times to move out of the way of the increasing number of arrows. Meanwhile, Koba was inside trying to pry the teeth out of his arm; it was quite difficult with his strength drained.

"_This trip is turning quite costly." _, he thought. He grunted in pain as he pulled a tooth out and tossed it to the floor. "_I have to get out there and stop Ms. Kata and Mr. Wingo from harming each other. He probably thinks we are pirates."_

Back outside, the bounty hunter had managed to keep Kata from getting any closer. The guard stood still, waiting for the bounty hunter to make a move. He had another arrow already notched and aimed at Kata. He let it fly as she jumped to the side. In the blink of an eye the man reached under his poncho and drew out a small throwing knife, which he threw at Kata. She had just jumped and didn't have enough time to avoid the knife as it flew into her left shoulder. She let out a small gasp as blood started pouring through the wound. The man, taking the chance while Kata was stunned from the wound, rushed forward, pulling a dagger from underneath his poncho. Kata saw this and raised her sword using her right arm and prepared to swing. Before the two could clash there was a popping noise and both of their weapons disappeared from their hands and a glass sphere appeared on the sand between them. Both of fighters turned to see Koba emerging from the shop with his left hand holding onto his injured arm. The bounty hunter quickly drew his bow again. Koba raised his left hand and held it in the air.

"We are not pirates Mr. Wingo. We mean you no harm. Ms. Kata was merely defending herself." Chasseur still had his bow in hand but didn't reach for an arrow.

The man then spoke, "Who are you?" His voice sounded closer to animal's growl than to a normal man's voice.

"I am Koba Seraph, owner of the floating shop Seraph Sundries, Armor, and Weapons and Ms. Kata is my guard.

"How do you know my name?"

"Vice-Admiral Kudzu recommended you to me."

"Recommended for what?"

"I wish to hire you as an extension of my shop. I have need of your bounty expertise."

"Not interested", the man said with a scowl.

"Mr. Wingo, you could make so much more than what you do now if you come with us."

"I don't hunt for the money. I only turn in the bounties so I can get the supplies I need. I hunt for the thrill of it."

"Even so, we run into many more pirates in a week than you fight in a month. I can promise you many more hunts than what you normally go through. I'll even provide everything you need."

The bounty hunter looked at him for a few moments before turning his head toward the now setting sun. He looked back to Koba, "Follow me." The man began to walk towards the forest on the far end of the beach. Koba released the sphere on the sand, so that Kata could grab her claymore, and began following the other man. Kata quickly came up behind the merchant and began whispering," Do you think we can trust him. He's probably leading us into a trap."

"That is highly doubtful, Ms. Kata. I seem to have piqued his interest. We may not leave empty-handed after all." Koba said with a smile.

….

It was dark when they reached their destination. It was a small campsite with a pile of wood that was already somewhat ashen and a fur knapsack hanging from a nearby tree. Wingo pulled a flint and steel from the knapsack and began making a fire. Once the wood was lit and burning bright enough, Wingo sat down on the ground and gestured for the other two to do the same.

"So you promise me that you can give me more prey and give me anything I need?" the man said as Koba and Kata sat down on the opposite side of the fire.

"Once we find a ship, yes. As I'm sure you saw, our own ship is now useless from the crash. I guess that you know of the current and wait for pirates to crash here, don't you."

Wingo nodded, "Yes. That is why I have so few hunts. I have to wait a long time for the prey to come to me. Which is why I am interested in going with you. You said that you meet many pirates. Why is that?"

"As I said on the beach, I am a floating shop owner. The pirates, who come to my shop, come out of curiosity. Most of them attack me. They have all ended up dead."

"I see. So your ship is like bait for a trap. When the prey gets close enough, you strike." Wingo spoke with a smile.

Koba shook his head, "Mr. Wingo you misunderstand me. I do not hunt pirates. I see them as customers. I only kill the ones who try to steal from me."

Wingo frowned, "You let the prey go if they don't attack?"

"Most of them do attack. This is why I want to hire you. I want to make a profit from the pirates who do attack. And while I make profit you get to hunt."

Wingo looked at the merchant. He stared for several moments before standing up, "Very well. I will go with you, as long as there is a hunt."

Koba stood up as well and walked over to Wingo. He held out his hand, "By shaking my hand you agree to lend me your services and work with me in my shop and I promise that you will have as many hunts as you want."

Wingo reached out and shook Koba's hand.

"Welcome aboard."


	5. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

**I was just going to write one long chapter but decided to split it, since I haven't updated in about two weeks.**

…**.**

Koba decided that the group should rest for the night, before they began preparing for the journey. Wingo was allowing them to use his small boat to reach the next island, seeing as all the other ships, including Koba's, had been destroyed when they had reached the island. Before they rested, however, they discussed what they were going to do in the morning before leaving the island.

"I am going to gather the traps I had left around the beach. Do I need to collect any food or do you have enough supplies to reach the next island?" Wingo asked with a tentative look.

Koba patted the side of his duster, "We have plenty of supplies; there is no need to worry about that matter. In the morning, while you are collecting your traps, Ms. Kata and I will go and salvage what we can from my ship. We will meet back here when we are finished and then head to the far side of the island where your boat is kept. Now, let us get some rest." Wingo and Kata nodded as Koba sat and leaned against a tree and closed his eyes.

…

Koba and Kata awoke at dawn. Wingo had already left to gather his traps. They both stretched and began their walk towards the beach. When they arrived they could see the ship in the same position it was in yesterday. They could also see Wingo farther down the beach removing another toothed trap from under the sand. Koba approached the wreck of his ship and stepped inside, Kata following closely behind.

"There is one thing in particular I need", Koba said looking to wall/floor of the ship where his desk had sat.

"The safe", Kata stated. Koba nodded and walked up to floor boards and swiftly punched through them to reveal the large metal safe. He quickly contained it in an orb and put it in the topmost pocket of his duster.

"Now, let's see what we can salvage from the merchandise."

…

About half an hour of searching through the wreckage they only managed to find about a dozen sellable weapons and even fewer pieces of armor. Koba was not in the best of moods when they exited the ship. Lost merchandise meant lost profit. He also hated losing his desk; he had grown fond of it. When they were out on the beach they didn't see Wingo anywhere.

"He must have gone ahead to the campsite", Koba stated. "Let's not keep him waiting."

…..

When they arrived, Wingo was sitting on the ground scrounging through his knapsack.

"Mr. Wingo, are you prepared to leave?" Koba asked politely.

"Yes" the bounty hunter answered in his gruff voice.

"Very well, lead the way." Koba gestured out with his hand.

Wingo stood and slung the sack over his left shoulder before the three of them began the trek towards his boat.

During the walk Koba began questioning Wingo.

"How did you learn to shoot your arrows so powerfully? I have seen a few men use bows before at wooden targets and their arrows barely embedded in the wood. Your arrows from yesterday broke through the boards of a ship easily."

Wingo paused for a moment before answering. "My mother taught me everything; how to survive, how to use traps, and how to use my bow. She taught me how to put my spirit into my arrows to make them more powerful."

"Your spirit?" Kata asked with curiosity.

"I do not fully understand it myself. She taught me when I was very young and I can't remember everything she told me. I do remember her saying it comes from strength of will. The stronger your will the stronger your arrows will be. It comes naturally to me now."

Koba looked at him with a slightly quizzical face, "And what of your mother. What happened to her?"

"She left to go back to her home island."

"She left you?" Koba exclaimed with a surprised expression.

"Her home island only allowed women inside its borders; I cannot remember the name of it. She was part of a pirate crew from that island and became pregnant with me while on one of the crew's expeditions. She chose to stay behind and train me until I could take care of myself."

Koba nodded his head slightly. He remembered something about an island where only women were allowed, but he too couldn't remember the name.

The rest of the walk was silent until they arrived to the boat. It was small and had one mast with one sail, but it could hold the three of them easily enough.

"At the next island, we must find a ship before we head out to the Grand Line. Do you know any nearby islands Mr. Wingo?" Koba asked.

"The closest island to us is Farina, a pirate haven. I have never ventured there as there may be a few pirates who might have heard of me."

"Then that's where we head. There are sure to be ships there that we can "procure". Of course we will have to be careful, especially you, Mr. Wingo", Koba said pointing to the bounty hunter. He nodded his head. "I will also need to be careful as I'm sure a few pirates of heard of the shop and myself. Now, let's be on our way."

The group quickly loaded their belongings onto the boat before shoving off and setting sail.

….

It was late in the evening when the island came into sight. Even at this distance they could see the landscape of the island. There was a large cove at the base of a small steep mountain. There were many ships docked at the cove and there was the outline of a town stretching up the mountain side.

The cove was mostly covered by docks and piers and the town was blocked off by a natural wall of rock which blocked all entry into the island except for one large gap in the wall which was in the center of the cove. The group pulled the boat around to the far side of the cove to draw less attention to themselves. Even so, a small group of pirates spotted them docking.

"Would you look at that." one of them shouted as the others looked on with amused expressions, "A band of wannabe pirates showing up in a dinghy. I've never seen a more pathetic site." Koba, Kata, and Wingo leaped to the pier without tying down the boat. Kata had her hand wrapped tightly around the hilt of her claymore, which was hanging from her back. Koba put his hand on her shoulder and whispered to her.

"Ms. Kata let us not start an uproar the moment we arrive." Kata glanced at him before taking her hand off of her blade. Wingo lowered his hat, trying to hide his face. Koba stepped towards the pirates.

"Gentlemen, we are not pirates. I am Koba Seraph, a humble merchant. And the two behind me are my guards."

The pirate who had spoken earlier looked at him with a smirk, "You're not a very smart merchant, coming to a place like Farina." The pirate reached into the side of his jacket and pulled a pistol out, aiming it at Koba. "Give me everything you got and your guards better not do anything or I'll blow your head off!" Kobas's eyes shadowed out and the pirates felt a chill run through their bones as fear crept into them. Kata and Wingo had the feeling as well although they had no fear like the pirates. They both recognized Koba's killing intent. This came as a surprise to Kata, as she had known Koba to be calm and peaceful most of the time.

"That would not be a wise move", Koba said in a strained voice. The pirate still had his pistol pointed at the merchant, although it was trembling terribly in his hand.

Another pirate approached, "Boss, maybe we should go. He can't have much arriving in a dinghy like that."

The leader's eyes narrowed and the pistol in his hand stopped trembling.

"I ain't no coward. He's just a merchant. Watch I'll kill him right now."

Just as his trigger finger tightened, Koba moved in a flash. He produced a large dagger and swiftly removed the pirate's hand, the pistol still in its grip. The pirate was about to scream from pain but Koba plunged the dagger into his throat, reducing the scream to a gurgle as blood seeped through his neck. It all happened so fast the other pirates didn't realize what had happened until their leader fell off the pier and into the water, dead. The three pirates screamed as they started to run towards the entrance to the town on the far end of the cove.

"Stop them Wingo", Koba said, his voice still strained. The bounty hunter pulled out his bow and notched three arrows at once, aiming carefully at the fleeing pirates. He let the arrows fly, all of them making a distinct whistling sound. They hit their intended targets simultaneously, piercing the backs of the three men as they fell flat onto the pier. Wingo put up his bow and turned back to Koba who was crouched and had his fingers on the side of his head, rubbing his temples.

"What was all that about not causing an uproar", Kata said with a sarcastic tone.

Koba sighed and stood up, "I apologize for that Ms. Kata and Mr. Wingo. I lost my temper."

"Why did you react so quickly? What did he do to upset you?" Kata asked, curious.

"When he threatened to steal from me, I could barely restrain myself from killing him outright instead of giving him the chance to run away. The thought of someone stealing from me is despicable."

"I know people hate being stolen from but you changed completely. Why?"

"Let's just say that I had a bad experience from someone stealing from me. Let's get going we must find more supplies and the means of acquiring a new ship." Koba said dropping the conversation. They walked along the pier, pushing the bodies of the pirates into the ocean as they made their way towards the entrance to the town. They spotted a pirate at the entrance holding a large glass bottle, tilting it into his mouth. Wingo, once again, pulled his hat back down to cover his face.

The pirate noticed the group approaching and stopped.

"Hey, are you guys here to join Tew's crew", the pirate asked, lowering his drink.

Koba looked at him quizzically. "Tew?"

"What? You haven't heard? Solander Tew is preparing to go to the Grand Line."

Wingo looked up not bothering to hide his face. "Solander "Terrible" Tew? He hasn't been active for more than five years. While he was active his bounty was at 95,000,000 Beli."

"So you have heard of him. Well it's true that he hasn't been active for a while. But that was just to throw the government off; make them think he had quit as a pirate. He was really preparing a fleet to take the Grand Line as his own."

"An entire fleet?"

"Yeah, nearly every crew on the island has sworn loyalty to Tew. I hear he's leaving some positions open on his personal crew for someone that can impress him. He's even planning on using the Bloody Raven as his flagship." Koba raised an eyebrow. The pirate frowned. "You really don't know much do you", he said as he pointed up towards the mountain. The group looked up the mountainside to see a large shape, looking like a horn, sticking out of a tremendous hole in the mountain. When the object came into focus it was revealed to be the bow of galleon-sized ship.

"That's the Bloody Raven", the pirate said with a hint of admiration in his voice.

"How did a ship come to sit on a mountain?" Koba asked, now curious.

"I don't feel like telling stories. You can probably get someone at a bar to tell you, or hey maybe you can get Tew to tell you himself." The pirate laughed as he tilted the glass back once again, now ignoring the group as they walked to the first street of the town.

Kata was frowning as the group walked along the crowed street, trying not to draw too much attention. "An entire pirate fleet heading into the Grand Line could mean trouble for us. Is this Tew person so great Wingo?"

Wingo shook his head, "I have never seen him, but I have heard plenty of rumors describing his strength from the marines. They said that he wields a hammer that would break a normal man's arms if he tried lifting it and that his swing was powerful enough to break ships in two. Of course, they are just rumors…"

"I want to meet him", Koba spoke suddenly, "This Mr. Tew."

Kata turned to look at him, "He could recognize you or Wingo. Then we would be in for hell, trying to escape. Why do you want to meet him anyway?"

"Isn't it obvious? I want to ask him about that ship and perhaps join his crew."

"What!" Kata cried out. Wingo's eyes slightly widened at Koba's statement.

"Are you already giving up on being a merchant? What about Wingo he wouldn't possibly join…." Koba raised his hand to silence her.

"Ms. Kata, do you not remember what we came here for? We need a ship and the pirate we just saw seemed to think highly of this Bloody Raven. Of course this alliance with Mr. Tew would not be permanent. It is simply the means to an end, the end being a new ship."

Kata calmed down somewhat and Wingo relaxed slightly.

"Wouldn't just be easier to steal one of the ships at port?" Kata asked.

"Perhaps, but I am still interested in the Bloody Raven and Mr. Tew. If things don't work out so well then we will take one of the ships at port. Does that sound alright to you, Ms. Kata? Mr. Wingo?"

They both nodded.

"Alright then let's head to the summit and speak with Mr. Tew.


	6. Notice!

I would like to apologize for not posting anything in the past few months. Things have been rather hectic for me and I have been extremely busy with college. I will begin uploading more chapters later, but for now I may rewrite chapters 1 through 5. I will try to give my characters more personality and develop the story a little more. I hope things calm down some so that I can continue writing my story.


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